It’s another start to a glorious brand new year! 2016 is here and it’s gearing up to be one of the biggest years in gaming – ever. Almost every month of the year is checked off for big releases including both games and new gaming tech. I am absolutely beside myself with excitement and squirming in anticipation for what’s coming. Are you? Well if you’re not, I have a little (not so little) list here that will surely get you excited for what’s coming in 2016!

Below, you’ll find a list of family friendly* games (in no particular order) that are confirmed to come out in 2016^#. This is by no means a full list but just some of the highlights for games to come out this year. Check them out below (click game titles to go to the official sites)!

*Family Friendly games constituted as games rated E to some T games based on the ESRB. For more info on what Wholesome Gamer considers family friendly, visit this link.#Game release dates are subject to change.

Coming April 2016, Ratchet & Clank for PS4 is the game based off of the upcoming movie, which is based on the game. Got that? Good. This brand new entry of Ratchet & Clank brings the beloved franchise to a new generation – with a new beginnings of sorts. Not quite a remake, Ratchet & Clank PS4 is a reimagining of the original story for a new generation and for old fans as well. Coinciding with the theatrical release, the game is set to come out this Spring in April.

Play the game, based on the movie, based on the game! Ratchet & Clank (PS4) is a new game based on elements from the original Ratchet & Clank (PS2). Developed alongside the major motion CG-animated picture coming to theatres in 2016, Ratchet & Clank (PS4) marks the PlayStation 4 debut of PlayStation’s greatest heroes. Join Ratchet, Clank, Captain Qwark and new friends as they battle to save the Solana Galaxy from the evil Chairman Drek. With an hour of new cinematics (including footage from the film), Ratchet & Clank (PS4) takes a deeper look at the characters’ origin stories and modernizes the original gameplay. Explore the galaxy in a game that features new planets, new and updated gameplay segments, all-new bosses, all-new Clank gameplay, all-new flight sequences, and much more — with completely new visuals built to demonstrate the power of the PS4!

Battle your enemies with an out-of-this-world arsenal, including new weapons and fan-favorite tools of destruction from the Ratchet & Clank Future series. From the brand new Pixelizer (which transforms enemies into explosive 8-bit pixels) to franchise favorites like the dance-party-inducing Groovitron and wise-cracking robotic bodyguard Mr. Zurkon, Ratchet & Clank’s arsenal has never been better. Help Ratchet and Clank save the galaxy for the first time, again, exclusively on PlayStation 4!

The game that everyone has been waiting on since it was revealed, No Man’s Sky is finally set to come out in June 2016. Explore the universe and discover things never seen before in this proceedurally generated game that’s set to break barriers.

Inspired by classic science-fiction and its overwhelming sense of adventure and imagination, Hello Games presents a game of unprecedented scale and ambition. In No Man’s Sky you explore an infinite universe where you will discover unique never-before-seen planets and lifeforms.

A mystery lies at the center of the galaxy, an irresistible pulse that draws you on an epic voyage to discover the true nature of the cosmos. Your journey will be charged with danger, encountering hostile creatures and fierce pirates; in order to survive, you will need to prepare, upgrading your ship, suit and weapons.

Whether you choose to fight, trade or explore, every decision you make has consequences, shaping your journey as you travel ever deeper into No Man’s Sky.

No Man’s Sky is an epic science fiction adventure set across an infinite universe, in which every star is the light of a distant sun, orbited by planets filled with life – each yours to visit. Explore never before seen worlds, discover unique lifeforms and trade, fight and survive on a galactic scale. – PlayStation

A game that is one of my personal most anticipated, The Witness is finally coming and in the first month of the year! An exploration puzzle game, The Witness is sure to be a breath of fresh air as you work your brain with its puzzles and explore the vast, beautiful island that you’re on.

In The Witness, you explore an abandoned island and solve the puzzles you find there. What is this mysterious place? What happened here in the past? What is happening now? –PlayStation

A successfully funded Kickstarter project, Yooka-Laylee is the spiritual successor the popular Banjo-Kazooie games from Rare. Playtonic Games, comprised of many of those original developers, is bringing back the 3D platformer in a way that’s sure to tickle your nostalgia bone.

Yooka-Laylee is an all-new 3D platformer from the creative talent behind the Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country games. We’ve come together to form Playtonic Games and create a spiritual successor to our most cherished work from the past!

Our new heroes, Yooka (the green one) and Laylee (the wisecracking bat with big nose) were conceptualised from the ground up for stellar platforming gameplay, created by the same character artist behind the rebooted Donkey Kong family and legendary N64 heroes Banjo and Kazooie.

The Kingdom Hearts saga is now completely in HD as we await the next chapter, Kingdom Hearts III. KH HD 2.8 brings the final story before Kingdom Hearts III to the PS4. Re-join Sora, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and friends as they continue their quest through this magical story visiting Square Enix characters and Disney worlds alike. KH HD 2.8 is a collection of two remastered playable games and a series of cutscenes for the PS4.

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is a compilation that brings the popular KINGDOM HEARTS [Dream Drop Distance] to the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system platform remastered in high-definition.

Originally released in 2012, KINGDOM HEARTS [Dream Drop Distance] HD is a full-HD remastered version of KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance]. Series protagonists Sora and Riku take on the Mark of Mastery exam in preparation for coming threats. The signature action of the KINGDOM HEARTS series has evolved, allowing players to experience faster-paced battles and exploration at a blistering pace.

The zombies have taken over and it’s time for the plants to fight back! Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 pits you in the next battle for plantkind. Choose your side, Plant or Zombie and fight for your life (or undead?).

Ready the Peashooters and prepare for the craziest, funniest shooter in the universe: Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2. Dr. Zomboss has conquered Suburbia and transformed it into a zombie-filled, plant-free paradise. Now it’s the plants’ turn to take the offensive in the new 24-player Herbal Assault mode and reclaim their turf. Or, choose your side in 4-player co-op or solo play. With new modes, classes, and loads of humor, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 lets you wage war on seriousness (and your friends!) however you want. Garden Warfare 2 also introduces the Backyard Battleground, your very own interactive hub where you and up to 3 friends can take on daily quests, challenges, and interact with your favorite PvZ characters.

Mega Man fans rejoice! You have been waiting on a new Mega Man games for ages and still we have nothing to show. But have no fear, Might No. 9 is here! From the creators of the hit Mega Man franchise, Might No. 9 is a spiritual successor to the franchise and is another game that is set to please platformer fans around the world.

Mighty No. 9 is a side-scrolling action game takes the best elements from 8- and 16-bit classics that you know and love and transforms them with modern tech, fresh mechanics and fan input into something fresh and amazing!

In the year 20XX: Our hero Beck is the 9th in a line of powerful robots designed to compete in spectacular duels in the Battle Colosseum and is the only one not infected by a mysterious computer virus that has caused mechanized creatures the world over to go berserk.

Run, jump, blast, and transform your way through twelve stages using weapons and abilities stolen from your enemies to take down your fellow Mighty Number robots and confront the final evil that threatens the planet!

Unravel is the game that charmed us all at E3 2015 during the EA press conference; Or maybe it was really the nervous dev on stage with the cute Yarny doll that got us and set the internet ablaze. Either way, this game looks to be a beautiful imaginative platformer that many are already excited about.

Unravel is a game all about overcoming obstacles, both big and small. Using Yarny’s small thread and big heart, players will traverse through the breath-taking, lush environments of Northern Scandinavia in this unique physics-based puzzle platformer. Some challenges are simple, like using Yarny’s thread to swing across a gap, or rappel down a tree. But others are more complex, and players will need to use Yarny’s thread in clever and creative ways to find the path forward. Whatever the case, no feat is too big for Yarny. Along the way, unlock a heartfelt story about love and longing, and the ties that bind, with Yarny as the red thread that runs through it all.

Guys, what can I really say at this point about this game? It’s Lego and it’s Marvel. Two amazing things put together in one, once again on our game consoles. Lego Marvel’s Avengers is the latest Lego game set to enchant kids and adults as you explore the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its characters, and so much more in this game. I for one can’t wait to play and explore with all my favorite Marvel heroes (and villains).

Avengers Assemble! The best-selling LEGO Marvel video game franchise returns with a new action-packed, Super Hero adventure. Join the LEGO Marvel’s Avengers team and experience the first console video game featuring characters and storylines from the critically-acclaimed film Marvel’s The Avengers, the blockbuster sequel Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, and more. Play as the most powerful Super Heroes in their quest to save the world.

Worlds collide as Mario and Luigi go on an adventure in the 2D and 3D world. This game is a mashup of Paper Mario and 3D Mario games for a brand new adventure that’s sure to be a blast. Who doesn’t love Mario?

Paper Mario meets Mario and Luigi

Paper Mario is jumping off the page and into the quirky adventures of Mario and Luigi! Become a superstar team of Mario Bros. to take on quests, take down enemies, and untangle these two classic universes in this playful new entry in the Mario & Luigi RPG series.

It’s a real page-turner!

The Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam game is the newest entry in the wild and popular Mario & Luigi RPG series. The denizens of Paper Mario are spilling out of the pages of a mysterious book and making mischief in the Mushroom Kingdom. You’ll call on the talents of Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario to solve puzzles, track Toad, chase Nabbit, race Yoshi, and more in a variety of quests to separate and save the two worlds. Looking for a change of pace?…er, tempo? Challenge giant bosses using a combo of rhythm-based micro-games and an equally giant Papercraft.

Final Fantasy Explorers is a brand new Final Fantasy game focusing on co-op fun. Square Enix is bringing this new RPG adventure to the 3DS for on the go fun with friends.

FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS focuses on cooperative play with friends, utilizing a refined party system allowing Explorers to master over 20 jobs, each offering unique ways to defeat or even recruit the realm’s mightiest monsters. Players will have the ability to call upon the powers of eidolons like Ifrit and Bahamut, as well as to transform into legendary characters from the FINAL FANTASY series via the Trance ability. Multiplayer functionality is enabled through the Nintendo 3DS wireless communication.

From the creators of the classics ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian, originally announced for PS3, was once thought to be lost to us as vaporware but Sony confirmed recently that it is coming to PS4. This news reignited our hopes of seeing this game and it has been once again confirmed that it will be getting a release in 2016. Are you ready to play with The Last Guardian?

In a strange and mystical land, a young boy discovers a mysterious creature with which he forms a deep, unbreakable bond. The unlikely pair must rely on each other to journey through towering, treacherous ruins filled with unknown dangers. Experience the journey of a lifetime in this touching, emotional story of friendship and trust

Although we have little information on the title currently, PlayStation surprised us with a spin-off of the core Gran Turismo franchise. The racing sim is set to bring a brand new experience for racing fans worldwide as it tackles the competitive professional racing world.

With more than 75 million cumulative sales around the world, Gran Turismo has revolutionized the driving game genre. The next evolutionary step in this history-making series will soon be coming to PlayStation 4. Get ready to be taken to new unforeseen heights with “Gran Turismo SPORT.”

That Gran Turismo SPORT will feature highly evolved graphics and sound quality, not to mention a totally revamped physics engine, should come as no surprise. The true beauty of Gran Turismo SPORT goes much deeper, as it will forever change the way driving games are seen. It will redefine the very definition of “gaming” and “motorsports.”

World of Final Fantasy brings a brand new Final Fantasy adventure mashing up all of the popular Final Fantasy worlds and character that we have come to know over the ages. Set to a milder tone, World of Final Fantasy follows two new small protagonists who embark across huge worlds.

Embark on an adventure unlike any before to an all new WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY. With charming, stylized visuals for both the young and the young at heart, players will collect, raise, and battle iconic monsters by stacking them to form adorable yet strategic monster towers. The memorable legends of FINAL FANTASY come to life in this imaginative, colorful world as an epic story fit for the smallest of heroes unfolds.

There are a lot of games coming out in 2016 and this doesn’t even scratch the surface. Are there any games you are looking forward to? Sound off in the comments below!